NORTON SHORES, MI – Muskegon-area moviegoers who frequent the area's largest theater complex will likely have access to a new menu and in-service in the next year.

Celebration Banquets LLC has applied for a Quota Class C Liquor License in the City of Norton Shores for the Cinema Carousel theater complex it operates at 4289 Grand Haven Rd.

The Loeks Theatres, Inc.-affiliated, Grand Rapids-based company is planning a three part, $2.2 million project that will include renovating the auditoriums and adding new food and several beer, wine and cocktail selections to its current offerings.

City Administrator Mark Meyers said the revamped complex would make it the first in the Lakeshore region to offer residents dinner, drinks and a movie in a theater atmosphere.

“I think the intention here is to not just have another bar or restaurant, so to speak. We really want to have something unique in the community,” Meyers said.

During Phase I, Celebration Banquets plans to renovate auditorium No. 13 by adding new carpet, lighting, sound system speakers and reclining seats with electric foot rests, along with a service bar and food-and-drinks stand for in-seat service. The $107,00 project would be installed in three to four months and would begin as soon as the business receives the license.

Phases II and III represent $2.1 million in investment, which exceeds the city’s $75,000 requirement. The subsequent waves include renovating the remaining 15 auditoriums, adding a full service kitchen and installing 21 seats in the café and lobby area by early 2015.

During a work session on Monday, Celebration Cinema Vice President of Operations–Revenue Development Kenyon Shane answered city officials’ questions about the renovations.

He described Phase I as an experiment in which the company installs premier seats with electric foot rests toward the front of the theater instead of the back where patrons have historically gravitated. However, the seating in the back of the theater will also be upgraded.

“We’re going to see if people prefer to have these nicer loungers with the foot rests or whether they’re going to migrate to the back like they normally do. That will probably change the other theaters in how we figure them. That’s the experiment,” Shane said.

During Phase I, Celebration Banquet patrons can expect to see a food menu similar to the current version, plus the addition of craft beers, wines and cocktails made with rum, tequila, vodka or whiskey.

Once Phases II and III are complete, Celebration Banquets will expand the menu again, offering patrons the Oscar Bistro selections provided at its Studio C! Meridian Mall location in the Lansing area.

Councilman Jason Flanders wanted to know about the theater’s security protocols and if management had encountered any problems at its repurposed locations.

Shane said the theater company has experienced “very few issues” and outlined its past and current policies.

Previously, staff used wrist brands, a card-swiping system and night-vision glasses to verify the content inside the clear cups it uses but stopped because it was unnecessary, he said.

The theater will only allow patrons to buy one drink per ID at a time. He also said the higher prices would discourage people from spending money on multiple drinks.

Shane said the company also requires more employees to undergo alcohol management training than what is mandated.

Many council members appeared to support the theater company’s plans, including councilman Bill Moulatsiotis, who said he visited a establishment similar to Cinema Carousel’s planned facility while visiting family in Colorado.

He said the theater has been “good neighbors” to Greek Tony’s Pizza & Sub Shops, the nearby eatery he manages. Cinema Carousel has been at the Grand Haven Road complex since the 1980s, but its parent company has been around since 1957, according to the company’s license application.

In his application review, Meyers said Celebration Banquets met the location, experience, financial and investment criteria the city uses to determine liquor license eligibility.

Loeks Theatres, Inc. reported $65 million in total combined revenue and said it employs 600 people, making up an annual payroll over $10 million, Meyers said.

The remodeling plans are part of an increasing popular trend that involves serving alcohol in theater lobbies and auditoriums to enhance the movie-going experience. Celebration Banquets received its first liquor license in 2002 for its Celebration! North & IMAX location in Grand Rapids.

Norton Shores officials are expected to consider approving the request at the council meeting scheduled for Tuesday, March 4.

The license is contingent upon city council approval, a successful background check and the execution of an agreement that mandates that the Celebration Banquet return the license if it violates the city's liquor license policy.